Introduction:
Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that affects the skin and peripheral nerves, with clinical manifestations depending on the host’s immune response to Mycobacterium leprae. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the host’s own body, necessitating the use of immunosuppressants and immunobiologicals to control this process. However, such treatments may increase susceptibility to infections. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of subclinical leprosy in patients with autoimmune diseases undergoing immunosuppressive and immunobiologics therapy, as well as to evaluate the performance of the Bioclin Fast ML Flow rapid diagnostic test.
Methodology:
The study included 44 patients diagnosed with autoimmune diseases and receiving maintenance therapy with immunosuppressive and immunobiological drugs. Blood samples were collected to obtain serum for the Fast ML Flow Leprosy test.
Results:
The mean age of the participants was 52 ± 13.7 years, and 59% were female. Psoriasis was the most prevalent autoimmune disease (82%). Two patients (5.5%) tested positive with the Fast ML Flow Leprosy test; both were male and diagnosed with psoriasis. These patients were receiving adalimumab and secukinumab.
Conclusion:
Patients with psoriasis undergoing immunobiological therapy can become susceptible to leprosy in hyperendemic areas. Thus, the Fast ML Flow Leprosy test represents an important, rapid, and minimally invasive tool for screening for subclinical leprosy in patients with autoimmune diseases. This was approved by the Research Ethics Committee under opinion number 2.306.632.